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Bread #38 Portuguese Sweet Bread

Also known as Hawaiian bread, this eggy sweet loaf is unreal. It is so soft. So airy. So light with a delicate crust. It is the perfect accompaniment to ham and makes a crazy good french toast. It only takes one day, so give it a go!

Stir 1/2 cup of unbleached bread flour with 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 1/4 teaspoons of instant yeast and 1/2 cup of water to make the sponge. Once you mix it smooth let it sit for 60-90 minutes covered in plastic wrap or a towel until it seems as though it will collapse.

To make the dough combine 6 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 of powdered milk (I will be honest… I used regular milk because that is what I had on hand… but he insists the powdered milk is the biggest factor in this being fantastic. So try it! I purchased some today and plan on updating this with a comparison over the weekend), 4 tablespoons softened butter until smooth. Add in 2 eggs, and one teaspoon of the following extracts: lemon, orange, and vanilla. Or…. if you don’t have these on hand 2 of vanilla alone will still be yummy. Finally add the sponge, 3 cups of bread flour and about 6 tablespoons of water (adjusting as needed).

Knead for about 15 minutes until it passes the window pane test.

Ferment for about 2 hours in a coated oiled bowl covered with a towel.

Divide into two equal pieces and form a tight ball of dough following these instructions. Oil two nine-inch pie pans and place the balls in them. Cover and let proof for about 3 more hours until doubled in size.

Brush with an egg and one tablespoon of water that has been mixed until frothy and bake in a preheated oven of 350 for about an hour (or until it is 190 F at the center). The color will be very dark on the outside.

Don’t be tempted to cut into the loaf for at least one hour. Please. This is important!